NSB falls 49-13 at New Jersey St. Joseph

Paced by five first-half touchdowns, New Jersey St. Joseph jumped out to a 35-0 halftime lead en route to a 49-13 victory over NSB on Saturday.

By JJ CONRADSpecial to the News-Journal

PALISADES PARK -- D'Cota Dixon was walking out of Overpeck Park on Saturday night, with Manhattan visible in the distance, but had no interest in taking in a glance at the picture-perfect skyline. The only thing he saw were a pair of disappointing numbers brightly staring him right in the face: St. Joseph 49, New Smyrna Beach 13.On a night filled with frustration and anguish, the Barracudas fell to the Green Knights, considered a top-10 program nationally, after surrendering five unanswered first-half touchdowns which came in a variety of ways -- a combined four from Boston College-bound Sherman Alston and Division I recruit Mark Fossati."It's embarrassing," said Dixon, who managed 51 yards on eight carries. "We want to come home with something to be proud of. You go away telling all your friends you're going to play right outside of New York, and then this happens. I've never been here, so I had a great time before tonight. But now, just look at the scoreboard... it takes all the fun out of this."St. Joseph started hot, orchestrating a 10-play, 63-yard touchdown drive to open the game, and never let its foot off the pedal. The Knights didn't punt all game, and held NSB to just two first downs in the first half (one by penalty), until the 'Cudas final drive -- which ended with a fumble at the Knights' 1-yard line."It got out of hand quick," Dixon said. "Too quick. And it was them just doing simple things, like converting on third and fourth downs using stuff that we practiced against. That's frustrating. I don't know what else to say. I'm speechless."NSB avoided the shutout in the second half, against SJR second-stringers, when Terrill Jefferson scored on a 5-yard TD run in the third quarter, while Dwayne Wood added a 44-yard TD reception from Marcus Johnson late in the fourth."We came out and were kind of shell-shocked in that first half," NSB coach Lance Jenkins said. "They were playing full speed, and we were back on our heels watching them do it. I don't think the scoreboard is indicative of what kind of team we are. I just don't think we got off the bus."